NFL Week 3 schedule: 5 teams that can’t afford to lose
By Josie Rohach
3. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots dominated the New York Jets last week 25-6 following a tight 17-16 loss in Miami. At 1-1, the Patriots are power ranked 14 and sit below Buffalo and Miami at third in the AFC East.
Despite some quarterback controversy before the season, the offense is not the main talking point for New England. Their No. 3 ranked defense managed four sacks against New York and have five takeaways on the season. They have played consistently and convincingly, and they might be the only thing that Bill Belichick is proud of with rookie Mac Jones having just one touchdown through two weeks.
If Jones is having trouble with the stingy New Orleans defense, the Patriots will need to rely heavily on their own defense to stop Saints quarterback Jameis Winston from repeating his performance against the Packers and force him into submission the way that Carolina did last week when he threw for two interceptions and a 26.9 passing rating.
In a game where both teams have much to prove, the Patriots need to grind every inch of their way out of an average title to put them on an upward track.